Filter Medium With Bicomponent Binder Fibers For High Temperature Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional filter media for combustion engines face issues with heat resistance, deformation, and reduced burst strength at high temperatures, leading to decreased filtration efficiency and shorter lifespan, particularly when used for high-temperature liquid filtration applications like oil filtration in automobiles.

Innovation Solution

A filter medium comprising synthetic polymer fibers with a melting point greater than 155°C and bicomponent binder fibers with a core-sheath structure, where the sheath polymer material has a lower melting point than the core, providing improved heat resistance and maintaining structural integrity under high temperatures and pressures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If conventional binder resins or low melting binder fibers are used to provide high temperature burst strength, then the filter medium can maintain structural integrity at elevated temperatures, but the binder components melt at temperatures prevalent in combustion engines (140-150°C), causing pore clogging and reduced filtration performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveburst strengthVSAvoidfiltration performance
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the melting point parameter of the binder fibers from conventional low melting points to a specific range (150-200°C) that remains above the operating temperature of combustion engines (140-150°C). This parameter change ensures the binder maintains its binding function without melting and clogging pores during normal operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses composite binder fibers comprising a core material (providing structural strength) and a sheath material (providing binding function with controlled melting point). This composite structure allows the binder to maintain both mechanical strength and appropriate thermal response for high-temperature applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If the filter medium is enlarged in diameter to avoid pore clogging from melted binder, then the filter can accommodate higher temperatures without binder melting issues, but material costs for both the filter medium and necessary connections inside the combustion engine increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat resistanceVSAvoidmaterial costs
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

By changing the melting point parameter of the binder fibers to be above operating temperatures, the invention eliminates the need for oversized filter designs, thereby reducing material quantities and costs while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional filter media are used for low temperature applications, then they can be manufactured with standard materials and processes, but they deform and shrink at combustion engine temperatures, reducing burst resistance and filter life

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovemanufacturabilityVSAvoidburst resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the thermal stability parameters of the filter medium by selecting synthetic polymer fibers with melting points above 155°C and binder fibers with melting points of 150-200°C. This ensures the filter maintains its dimensional stability and burst resistance at combustion engine temperatures while remaining manufacturable using standard processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Stability of the object's composition

If supporting wire meshes are added to conventional filter media to maintain pleated structure at high temperatures, then the filter can retain its structure under thermal stress, but the device complexity and material costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepleated structure stabilityVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention makes the filter medium self-supporting by using high-temperature-stable synthetic polymer fibers and appropriately melting-point binder fibers that maintain the pleated structure through their own thermal properties, eliminating the need for external wire mesh supports.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The use of composite binder fibers with specific melting point ranges provides inherent structural support to the pleated configuration, allowing the filter medium to maintain its shape through material properties alone rather than requiring additional supporting structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The filter medium exhibits enhanced heat resistance, reduced deformation, increased burst strength, and improved filtration efficiency, maintaining its pleated structure and performance even at temperatures up to 150°C, thus extending its service life and reducing material costs.

Implementation Method 1

a low-shrinkage dual-component core-sheath fiber consisting of a crystalline polyester core and a crystalline polyester sheath which has a melting point at least 10° C lower than the core

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMelting: Melting

Implementation Method 2

these filter media typically filter out portions of the oil which have been thermally decomposed inside the engine, metal abrasion and other pollutants (e.g. soot)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhysical filtration: Filter (physical)

Data Source

PatentEP3356009B1Filter medium having excellent heat resistance
Publication Date: 2021.08.11 AHLSTROM OYJ
  • EP3356009B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3356009B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3356009B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a filter medium having improved heat resistance and filtration efficiency.